Ultra-thin notebooks are in for a performance boost next year, when Intel begins introducing dual-core CPUs for a variety of models. Currently, Intel's ultra-thin lineup is mostly composed of chips like the Core 2 Solo SU3000, Pentium SU2000 and the Celeron, all of which are based around a single-core design. The demand for more performance in tight environments has been increasing, and as a response, most of the CPUs mentioned above are going to be replaced.

Excluding the very low end, Intel will be introducing the Core 2 Duo SU4000 and SU7000, in addition to a dual core Celeron, the SU3000. These will stand apart from the Atom offerings Intel has planned for netbooks and the Pine Trail platform, and will target a market demanding higher performance in a mobile environment. Still, Intel is keeping an entry-level option for ultra-thins: the Celeron 700, though it's unlikely to directly compete with Atom-based devices. At the very high end, Intel will be keeping the existing Core 2 Duo SU9000.

These changes are due before the end of this year, which will be nice for people who want portability but are not necessarily willing to sacrifice performance.